16
votes
What is the most important source of natural gas? Coal, oil or other?
The most important source of natural gas is natural gas. This is why it is called natural. It is not "made" from oil or coal.
Natural gas forms by decomposition of organic material. Whether the ...
- 23.3k
13
votes
Why is helium only found in wells mixed with natural gas?
Helium is produced by the radioactive decay of primordial uranium and thorium. It should not be strongly associated with non-primordial 'fossil' hydrocarbons.
The first statement is correct. The ...
- 24.7k
8
votes
Accepted
What "g" would be needed to keep helium on Earth?
Atmospheric escape is the loss of planetary atmospheric gases to outer space. You'd never be able to contain ALL of any gas forever by gravity. Ultimately you end up in the rarefied atmosphere where ...
- 511
8
votes
Are there gases from the Earth useful to generate electricity besides "natural gas"?
The category "other gases" may not solely include other naturally occurring gases extracted from the Earth.
As you state natural gas is predominantly methane, extracted from the Earth.
Another type ...
- 25.1k
8
votes
Accepted
How high is too high for hydrogen to rise?
I had a similar question, and then I learned that at the molecular level it is diffusion what dominates, that means that despite Hydrogen is lighter, it won't rise to the top of the atmosphere. ...
- 17.7k
8
votes
Accepted
Why air do not suffer density stratification of its gaseous components?
So, naively, one would expect the heavier gasses to pool in the lower atmosphere and the light ones at the top.
That's overly naive. That same naive expectation would lead one to think that uranium ...
- 24.7k
7
votes
Accepted
How do I convert kg·kg⁻¹ to ppbV (parts per billion volume)?
So if you have a mass-mixing ratio, you effectively $\frac{ \text{kg pollutant}}{\text{kg dry air}}$. PPBV is parts per billion volume, or number of molecules of pollutant per billion molecules of dry ...
- 8,837
7
votes
Why is helium only found in wells mixed with natural gas?
David Hammen's answer explains why He is extracted from natural gas. But, it is not found only there. Helium exists just about everywhere on earth. You find it in volcanoes, in subseafloor ...
- 23.3k
6
votes
Why air do not suffer density stratification of its gaseous components?
But despite of that, there is no reports of miners dying because on the top of the cavity the air was only nitrogen or oxygen at the bottom.
Yes and no, miners die from other causes, like lack of ...
- 3,271
6
votes
Accepted
Are there gases from the Earth useful to generate electricity besides "natural gas"?
Fred's answer looks correct, but in this case, the source is right there under the chart.
US Energy Information Administration (type "other gases" in the search box)
Explained here in the footnotes
...
- 5,897
6
votes
Accepted
What would happen if magma flows into a very large oil deposit?
If there were an earthquake that somehow cause a crack in the earth and allowed a significant amount of magma to flow into a very large oil deposit.
My understanding from this is that you are making ...
- 23.3k
6
votes
Are plastics a carbon sink and how much carbon is released to the atmosphere making them?
The idea of a carbon sink is a bit misunderstood here. The idea of a carbon sink is a reduction of carbon that comes from the atmosphere. It must “fix” carbon that is already in the air. Trees are a ...
- 169
5
votes
What is the most important source of natural gas? Coal, oil or other?
A significant part of the natural gas used around the world today comes from oil fields.
On top of the oil is a layer of natural gas, and in the crude oil is dissolved natural gas. This will be ...
- 1,884
5
votes
Does Xenon really covalently bond to oxygen within quartz?
Not sure this is appropriate for Earth Science SE (Chemistry SE would be a better fit), but the answer is "maybe". quoting from the same Wikipedia article:
Three oxides of xenon are known: ...
- 51
5
votes
What would happen if magma flows into a very large oil deposit?
An oil deposit is gravel and rock mixed with oil, capped by rock - like this:
My guess is that if somehow, likely from below or sideways, magma would intrude into this deposit, oil (and posibly water)...
- 1,254
4
votes
What is a "show" in petroleum geology?
A show is a visual indication of hydrocarbons, in the jargon of petroleum exploration, it is typically used to describe a drilling. It could be e.g. a Gas show in the drilling fluid. Show evaluation ...
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4
votes
Accepted
Old oil and gas exploration "units" appearing in assay report
38 units: These are "hotwire units" as indicated in Appendix 1A of the report (pages 38 and 39 of the pdf report). This is not my area of expertise, but "hotwire units" in this ...
- 14k
3
votes
Are plastics a carbon sink and how much carbon is released to the atmosphere making them?
Plastic is a much less efficient carbon sink than the original crude oil if it had been left in the ground or any natural method for storing carbon such as peat bogs. It is still technically a carbon ...
- 61
3
votes
Are plastics a carbon sink and how much carbon is released to the atmosphere making them?
Most plastics are made from the already-sunk carbon of crude oil or natural gas, and as a result, can be at best carbon neutral. However, bioplastics such as cellulose acetate or polylactic acid are ...
- 1,291
3
votes
Why is helium only found in wells mixed with natural gas?
The helium in natural gas wells is created from uranium and thorium (as you correctly state) contained in the underlying granite basement rock or radioactive black shales that allows the natural gas ...
- 2,197
2
votes
Accepted
Is there a 'standard size' for volcanic eruptions in terms of gas output?
There is no "standard volcano" or "standard volcanic eruption". However, to perform the calculation you want to do, you could use the "typical" of "average" volcanic eruption.
The characteristics of ...
- 17.7k
2
votes
Gases that are nearly transparent to solar AND thermal radiation?
Google, Radiative (or radiation) absorbtion coefficients for gases (or enter a specific gas of interest). Most of this data relates to applications in combustion and refrigeration so that is the area ...
- 564
2
votes
How much gasoline in cubic meters is used per day?
The total consumption of crude oil according to this site is around 100 000 000 barrels per day and is in SI units 10 000 000 cubic meters. Of course not all of that can be processed to gasoline, but ...
- 1,064
2
votes
Are there gases from the Earth useful to generate electricity besides "natural gas"?
To add on to Fred above - There is something called 'Underground coal gasification' where you basically react coal with steam and oxygen underground to produce a stream of carbon monoxide and ...
- 1,102
2
votes
Are there gases from the Earth useful to generate electricity besides "natural gas"?
LPG ( liquid petroleum gas) is primarily produced with "natural" gas. It is separated from the methane by condensation ( in "gas plants" ) because it is more valuable . It does not require pipelines ...
- 1,033
2
votes
What is the most important source of natural gas? Coal, oil or other?
The most important factor for petroleum becoming gas isn't a substance, it's temperature and pressure. Most reservoirs have varying degrees of both; the T&P dictates how much of each will form. ...
- 495
1
vote
Accepted
How is it possible that natural gas fields are so deep?
From your question you are obviously aware that gas deposit arise from life forms sinking to the bottom of shallow seas when they die, they accumulate over time and are subsequently covered by marine ...
- 25.1k
1
vote
How is it possible that natural gas fields are so deep?
A practical limit to commercial gas/oil drilling is 30,000 ft and generally not much deeper than 20,000 ft. The high temperatures and pressures are difficult to control. There are several mechanical ...
- 1,033
1
vote
Are there gases from the Earth useful to generate electricity besides "natural gas"?
If you watch older British ( and some American )films you will see large gas accumulators ; typically 50 M in diameter and in height with external steel framework which permitted them to rise and fall ...
- 1,033
1
vote
How can oil can escape from a shale source rock into a reservoir rock?
Shale typically has a low permeability but shale is not technically impermeable.
Natural occurring faults, fractures and joints in shale can greatly increase the permeability of the rock. This is why ...
- 5,959
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